


Pranks On Tour

by i_just_missed_writing



Series: Tumblr and AO3 Prompts [4]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Fluff, M/M, band au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-23 04:31:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23005792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_just_missed_writing/pseuds/i_just_missed_writing
Summary: Based on Anon's Prompt on Tumblr:could i request a starshipping story? judai and yusei being involved in a (one-sided) prank war with judai pulling pranks on yusei (and failing since yusei somehow avoids the pranks)? just some cute fluff between them
Relationships: Fudou Yuusei/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki
Series: Tumblr and AO3 Prompts [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639108
Comments: 18
Kudos: 56





	1. Immunity or Curse?

"This is gonna be so much fun, Johan!" Judai said giddily as they left the hotel. They'd flown in the day before to get a good night's sleep before the new tour began. It'd be the first time they'd perform songs from their new album in concert. Before, it had only been a few TV appearances here and there to create hype for the album and increase ticket sales.

That was always the part Judai dreaded the most. He didn't like the controlled environment of a TV set, just like he didn't enjoy only performing one song before sitting down for an interview to promote himself. He wanted to be up on stage and feel the energy of the crowd. He wanted to hear them sing along, see them jump and move because they couldn't contain their happiness. That was what being a musician was all about for him. Not the writing sessions or studio recordings, not the TV appearances, awards, and interviews. It was the concerts and crowds that brought him happiness.

"It's four in the morning, stop being so happy!" Manjoume complained.

"But we're going on tour with _the_ 5D's!" Saying it again had Judai's heart beat faster. 5D's were the newest addition to their label. They'd only been signed a few months ago and now they'd be joining Judai and the rest of GX as the headliners of their newest tour. It'd just be the two bands, two buses, and a lot of sleepless nights for months to come. Judai couldn't wait.

"Come on, Manjoume," Johan jumped in, "you've gotta be at least a little excited!"

"No."

Judai lightly elbowed him. "Come oooon, Thunder, I've heard you listen to them in the shower, I know you like them."

"Why were you listening to me shower?"

"My bunk was right next to the bathroom on the last tour."

"Please don't talk like that in front of the band," Asuka cut in with a pointed look at Manjoume. "We want them to like us, remember?"

"Ah, don't worry about that," Judai replied. "We're gonna be best buddies in no time, just you wait!"

* * *

" _You're_ the front man?"

Judai blinked up at the giant blonde man in front of him. It was _the_ Jack Atlas. _Be cool, Judai, be cool._ "Yes?"

Jack gave him a once-over and cocked an eyebrow.

"Ignore him." Crow pushed past his band mate and held out his hand. "I'm Crow. That mildly unpleasant guy is Jack, and these are Yusei and Aki."

"We know who you are," Manjoume jumped in. It earned him a smack over the head from Asuka.

Judai shook Crow's hand with a happy smile. "It's so amazing to finally meet you! I'm Judai and these are my friends and band mates - Johan, Asuka, and Manjoume."

"It's nice to have another woman on tour with us," Aki said as Judai dropped Crow's hand.

"Tell me about it," Asuka replied, "one time Judai had a nosebleed and came out of the bathroom with one of my tampons up his nostril."

"They're very practical," Judai jumped in.

"And expensive, you dingus!"

"I'll buy you a pack if you want," Johan offered.

"Thank you!"

"I think they're waving us over." Yusei's voice was calm and low as he looked over his shoulder at their two buses. It seemed like their crew had finished packing up.

Judai lightly bounced on his toes. "Aw, guys, this'll be so cool! We'll get to spend so much time together and meet so many new people and be on stage together and-"

"Start walking or the bus will leave without you!" Manjoume cut in as he brushed past Jack.

* * *

**THREE DAYS LATER...**

"Yusei's kind of mysterious, isn't he?" Judai mused. He was sitting in a booth inside a tiny roadside diner. It was currently 5.30 in the morning and the vast majority of the crew and band members were still asleep.

"Not to me," Crow replied. He was sitting across from Judai and currently busy with pouring unholy amounts of sugar into his cup of coffee. Personally, Judai was more of a hot chocolate type of person. At least that didn't require additional sweeteners.

"How did you guys meet?" Judai leaned back in his seat and took a sip from his drink.

"We grew up together. Jack too. There was an incident in our city shortly after we were born and... our parents didn't make it. The three of us ended up in the same orphanage and we've been like brothers ever since. Aki joined us when we were teenagers and... she hasn't had it easy either."

Judai watched as Crow began to stir his coffee. "Wow. That must've been tough." He looked away from Crow to his side of the table. "I'm... I'm sorry if I dragged up some bad memories."

"It's fine. I don't mind talking about it. Especially when we're gonna be sharing cramped spaces for the next few months." Crow sought out Judai's gaze and offered him an honest smile. "So what about you guys? How did all of you meet?"

"We went to the same school."

Crow chuckled. "That's it? I lay out my life story and all you give me is that?"

"No, well, I... we really just met at school. Asuka, Manjoume, and I were in the same class and Johan transferred in our second year."

Crow hummed and took a sip from his cup. "Alright then."

Judai cradled his mug between his palms and began to tap out the rhythm in his head. He really didn't like breaks in conversation. They made him uncomfortable. "Okay, fine." His gaze flickered up to Crow and back down to his mug. "In our second year, some... stuff went down. A lot of people almost died, including my friends." He ran his thumb over the flower print along the side of the mug. "It left all of us a little traumatized but we helped each other through it." He bit his lower lip as he contemplated whether to say any more. After a beat of silence, he decided against it. "I guess now we know what all the other band's songs are about and why they're so depressing sometimes."

Crow was quiet for a moment. "I guess so."

* * *

Judai and Crow had gone back to the 5D's bus and were now relaxing on the couch with Johan who had come over shortly after in search for Judai.

"No, no, I swear it wasn't staged," Johan said through tears of laughter.

Crow who was cry-laughing alongside him rewound the video on Johan's phone. "So he- he literally just-" He wiped his eyes and sniffed.

"Yes, I swear."

Judai crossed his arms. "It's really not that funny."

"Oh, but it is," Crow said and broke into another fit of laughter as the much younger Judai on screen fell off the stage again and landed right in the arms of a big bulky security guard.

Johan paused the video right where the guard and Judai were looking at each other in shock. "He caught him so perfectly."

"Their faces. I can't."

"That's it, we're splitting into groups!" Jack snapped as he burst out of the bunk area and into the cramped living room space (which was really just a couch and a coffee table screwed to the floor before the kitchen began).

"Huh?" Judai blinked up at him.

"You, Crow, Yusei, Johan - take the GX bus! The rest stays here with me!" And with that, Jack stalked back the way he'd come from and closed the separating curtains in a dramatic fashion.

"What was that?" Johan asked.

"I think he doesn't like that we're already up," Yusei stated. Judai hadn't even noticed his arrival but now he was leaning against the kitchen counter as if he'd been there the entire time.

"So he's separating us by sleep cycle?" Judai replied.

"Yes."

"Well-" Crow wiped his eyes and handed the phone back to Johan. "I'll go pack my things then." He giggled again as he got up and wiped his eyes some more. "Come on, Yusei!"

Yusei trailed after him without further comment.

"Who does that douchebag think he is?" Manjoume complained after Johan and Judai had delivered the news to him and Asuka.

"Finally, another girl on the bus," Asuka mumbled to herself. "I'll go pack!"

"Well... at least I wouldn't have to stay here with you." Manjoume narrowed his eyes at Judai.

"You know I don't believe you anymore when you say things like that." Judai cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms in a silent challenge. He had years worth of memories that were solid proof of how much Manjoume cared - and not just about him but also about the rest of their group. "But it's up to you whether you want to leave or stay." _Kill him with kindness_ , Judai thought to himself. "I'd never kick you out. I just want you to be comfortable."

There was a redness to Manjoume's face as he averted his gaze with a feigned snarl. "Whatever. I'll go pack."

_Works like a charm._

* * *

That night, Judai couldn't fall back asleep after a nightmare filled with golden eyes and corpses. It wasn't the first time that character had appeared in his dreams and left him shaken. Which meant he knew he'd need to distract himself for at least an hour before he could even think about falling asleep again. The bus was a little cold when Judai rolled out of his bunk and stumbled out into the living area where, surprisingly, a soft yellow glow was already emanating from the small lamp screwed to the wall above the couch.

"Yusei," Judai blurted out as his gaze settled on the figure on the floor between the coffee table and couch.

Yusei was dressed down in a pair of black sweatpants and a t-shirt. He was barefoot and sitting cross-legged as he leaned over a tiny notebook, pencil in hand. When he heard his name, he looked up at Judai with wide eyes.

"Are you still up or were you already sleeping?" Judai asked quietly as he walked further into the space.

"I haven't slept yet."

Judai went to fetch himself a glass of water. "Are you working on a new song?"

"I... Not really. Aki is the one who writes the music."

"But you write the lyrics, right?"

"Sometimes. I mostly focus on playing the bass."

Judai took a sip from his glass and headed over to the couch. There, he took a seat on the armrest closest to Yusei who immediately shut his notebook. "Sorry. I didn't mean to take a peek."

"It's okay." Yusei got up but instead of leaving like Judai had feared, he settled into the cushions beside him. "Are you working on something right now?"

"I always am," Judai replied cheerfully. "Most of it just never makes it onto an album."

Yusei nodded in acknowledgment.

Unsure of how to continue, Judai sipped on his water again and pulled his phone from his pocket to check social media. "It's pretty amazing how excited everyone is about the tour, huh?"

"Our fan bases seem to overlap a lot, yes."

Judai pulled up one of his legs to get more comfortable as he scrolled through his Twitter feed. "You're never really all that active on here though, right?"

"I only post when I have something important to say."

"If Asuka were here right now, she'd say I should follow your example," Judai joked.

"I think your fans would be disappointed if you did."

Judai looked over to meet Yusei's eyes for a moment, though the intensity of it quickly had him turn his attention back to his phone. "Oh wow, a lot of people are asking for behind the scenes photos!"

"Huh?"

"Maybe we should give them what they want, what do you think?"

"What?"

Judai switched to camera mode, quickly leaned into Yusei and snapped a picture. "Do you mind if I tweet this?" He was already typing out the caption

"I guess not?"

"Thank you. Aaand posted." Judai exited the app and pocketed his phone again. "Now, how do you feel about midnight snacks?"

* * *

"I think we should arrange something fun for the fans who can't make it to our shows," Judai said as he and Crow were doing the dishes.

"Like what?"

"Like a... a prank war!"

Crow snickered. "Right." His tone was teasing.

"What?"

"We already tried that."

"And?"

"Jack just got angry, Aki took things a little too seriously, and Yusei is literally immune to pranks."

"I think we have different ideas of what 'literally' means."

"I doubt we do."

"So how can you be immune to pranks?"

Crow shrugged. "I don't know. He just is! Whenever anyone tries to prank him, it just never works out."

"Well, no offense, but maybe you guys just aren't good at pranking."

"Nope, Yusei's just immune."

Judai crossed his arms. "I bet I could prank him!"

"Oh yeah? And what are you betting?"

"Hm..." Judai pursed his lips as he thought it over. "The winner gets to pick the user's stage outfit for the final show of the tour."

Crow's entire face lit up in pure mischief. "Deal!"

* * *

It was their third show of the tour and Judai had recruited Johan as his little helper for his first prank. While Judai was backstage with a giant stack of printed out photos of Ojama Yellow which he'd be hiding all over Yusei's dressing room, Johan was playing the distraction. He'd invited all of 5D's to his room with the excuse of planning out a little on-stage fan special for tonight's show.

Ojama'ing was a classic when it came to pranks and Judai had come prepared with pictures in all shapes and sizes. He'd even prepared Ojama confetti which would rain from the bathroom ceiling the moment someone flushed the toilet in the en-suite and a small collection of go-pros had been hidden all across the room to record Yusei's reactions. It was absolutely perfect.

Ten minutes later, Judai was sitting in his own dressing room with Johan while they stared at the live footage on Judai's laptop.

"He should be walking in any moment," Judai said gleefully as he rubbed his hands together.

"You do know that you'll have to take down all the pictures and clean up the mess before we leave, right?" Johan brought up.

"Oh. Damn."

"What are you two looking at?"

Judai's head shot up. "Yusei?"

"There! The door just opened!" Johan called out.

Judai's gaze snapped back down and watched as Jack Atlas walked into the Ojama'd room. The moment the door opened, a 7 foot tall Yellow Ojama cardboard cut-out fell from the ceiling and landed on his head. "Oh no," Judai squeaked.

"What happened?" Yusei asked as he fully entered the room.

"Um..." Judai watched Jack stumble backwards and trip the wire for the Ojama party streamers which tangled up in his hair. Jack's body language made it clear he was already getting agitated.

"Hey, Yusei," Johan said cheerfully. "Did you need anything?"

"I was actually looking for Jack."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Have you seen him?"

Judai was transfixed by the screen. Jack had just triggered the Ojama dance footage on the TV in the corner and was now furiously searching for the remote. "No. I can't say I've bumped into him yet today."

"Okay, thank you. I'll see you at the stage in a few minutes."

"Yes... see you."

Later when 5D's walked up on stage, Jack was still wiping Ojama confetti from his shoulders.

* * *

"So..." Crow said as they trailed after the rest of the group on the way back to the tour buses.

"He's not immune." Judai crossed his arms. and tried not to pout. "He just got lucky this time."

"Sure." Crow stuffed his hands in his pockets.

For a moment, they walked in silence.

"Oh, before I forget." Crow pulled his phone from his pocket. "That photo you posted recently? It kind of caused the internet to implode."

"Huh? Which one?"

"The one of you and Yusei, obviously." Crow turned his phone so Judai could see the screen.

There was the picture of him and Yusei. It was slightly blurry, the lighting was bad, but Judai was wearing his signature grin while Yusei's eyes were wide and his mouth slightly open in surprise. Their heads were nearly touching since Judai had to lean in close to get them both into frame.

Crow clicked off the screen and pocketed his phone again. "Everyone thinks you look _\- heart emoji, heart emoji -_ _so super cute together_ ," he teased.

Judai could feel his face heat up. "I just wanted to show the fans that we actually get along and it's not all just a set up from our label..."

"I know. Though I hope this newfound friendship won't get in the way of our little bet." The mischief was clear in Crow's tone again.

"Pah, you wish!"

* * *

"You put glitter in his face cream?" Johan asked.

Judai grinned happily as he exited the roadside café with Johan trailing after him. "Indeed, I did. And this time, I made sure it was actually Yusei's. I took it right outta his toiletry bag!"

"Glitter though, isn't that kinda of dangerous?"

"Relax, it's body glitter! I'd never want to hurt Yusei!"

"Right. Because you have a crush on him."

"Huh? What? I-"

Johan chuckled as he brushed past him. "Come on, let's go back and see if your plan worked out."

"No, wait, what're you implying here?"

"Nothing."

Judai narrowed his eyes at Johan's back.

That day, Jack went on stage with a glittering face. Apparently he'd run out of face creme and had decided to steal Yusei's.

* * *

**A WEEK LATER**

While everyone was out for lunch, Judai was still holed up in the tiny recording space at the back of the bus. He'd woken up with a melody in his head that morning which meant he needed to record it before it would slip through his fingers.

Except the few notes had quickly turned into a verse which had lead to a chorus and a bridge and now he was flipping through his lyric journal and trying to piece together something that would match the mood and flow of the rough track he'd thrown together in garage band.

"I brought you some lunch."

Judai jumped at the sudden voice behind him and quickly took off his headphones. "Yusei?"

"Yes." He held up a brown paper bag. "Johan ordered for you."

Judai quickly got up to snatch the bag out of Yusei's hand. "Yes. Perfect. I'm starving!"

"You should've joined us then."

"Couldn't. Can't," Judai said through the bite he'd already taken. "I'm riding a creative wave right now!"

Yusei sneaked a peak over Judai's shoulder at the open laptop. "Seems you already got quite a bit done."

Judai nodded eagerly since his mouth was too full to speak.

"Well... I better leave you to it then." Yusei sent him a rare smile and turned to leave but was stopped when Judai grabbed his wrist.

After swallowing his bite Judai met Yusei's wide eyes. "Sorry, I- I could actually use some creative input."

"Do you want me to go fetch Asuka?"

"No." Judai dropped his hold. "I was thinking about a small collab. With you."

Yusei seemed even more confused now. "I think Aki would be better suited for a collab between our two groups."

Judai ducked his head and turned to look at his laptop. "I wasn't thinking about a GX and 5D's collab."

"What do you mean?"

"This song... it doesn't feel like GX to me. I was just thinking about posting it on my YouTube channel to cheer up the fans who won't be able to make it to a show."

"That's... really sweet of you, Judai." Yusei's tone was softer and warmer than Judai was used to. "But I still don't really know how I'd be able to help with that."

"Well, you see, I'm kind of a big fan of 5D's and all the lyrics that stuck with me the most as it turns out, were written by you." Judai sent Yusei an honest smile. "What I'm meaning to say is that I'm struggling with the text and I could need your lyrical genius."

Yusei blinked and stared at Judai for a drawn out moment. "Okay."

Writing with Yusei was... different. In a good way. He first asked Judai to play him the song and read through the lyrics he'd put together so far before declaring 5 minutes of silence where both of them jotted down every thought that popped into their heads. Their notes from those minutes were a complete mess but once put together and edited, they were actually able to put together a skeleton for the entire song.

"I've got a great feeling about this," Judai said as they packed up their things for the day.

"I'm glad."

"Maybe we can even record it tomorrow!"

"Please don't overwork yourself."

"Nah, don't worry! I've got you to bring me food, right?"

* * *

"How did you get Yusei to write a song with you?" Aki asked as they were standing at the side of the stage while Yusei was off with the tech guys to fine-tune the lighting for tonight's show.

Judai shrugged at the question. "I just asked."

"Are... are you serious?"

"Yes."

"You just-" Aki paused and gestured with her violin. "You just asked and he said yes."

"Yes."

"Wow."

Judai frowned. "Why do you seem so surprised?"

"Because it took me six months to get him to share his lyrics with me."

"Woah, thank you for warming him up for me then." Judai chuckled.

Aki lightly shook her head but didn't comment further.

* * *

"What do you need giant googly eyes for?" Asuka asked as she looked down at their shopping list.

"Reasons," Judai replied innocently.

"Are you still doing that stupid one-sided prank war with Atlas?" Manjoume complained.

"No," Judai shot back.

"He's actually been trying to prank Yusei," Johan corrected.

Manjoume rolled his eyes. "Wow, you're an idiot. I can't believe I call you my friend."

Judai was a little touched by the words.

"I shouldn't be helping you with this again," Johan whispered three hours later as they sneaked toward the hallway with the other band's dressing rooms.

Judai peaked around the corner before he gestured for Johan to follow. "You don't have to if you don't want to, Johan."

"Letting you go alone would feel irresponsible."

"I'd be okay."

"You say that now, but-" Judai cut off as a door opened further down the hall. Before he could think twice, he'd opened the door beside him and pulled Johan through it. Once the door was firmly shut, Judai reached over to flip on the light. "We're so lucky, look! It's all of their costumes!"

Johan followed him further into the room where clothing racks were lined up one after the other. He pulled out a white jacket and looked it over. "These are Jack's clothes, Judai."

"Well, they can't all be his." Judai pulled out a red cloak. "See? This clearly belongs to Aki. Now we just have to find the dark shirts and jackets that look like they're Yusei's size!"

"If you say so."

The lead singer of 5D's went up on stage that day with two giant googly eyes glued to the back of his black leather jacket. 

"We need to up security," Jack snarled as he brushed past them after the show.

Judai was aware he'd have to own up these pranks one day. The thought terrified him. He'd pick Cronos's death glares over Jack Atlas's any day.

"I don't think Yusei's immune," Judai told Crow on their way back to the buses. "Jack's just cursed."

* * *

He hadn't played the drums in a while but there was still something freeing about using all four limbs to make music. Sometimes he wished he'd stuck with it instead of letting the others talk him into becoming the lead singer. Though he couldn't say he regretted asking Johan to replace him on the drums. He always looked so at home and carefree behind his kit and Judai really did love singing. Every now and again, he just felt a little trapped by the spotlight.

The track playing over his ear pieces stopped and Judai lowered his drum sticks to catch his breath.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Judai looked at Yusei standing in the doorway. "Hey."

"Hey. I didn't know you could play the drums."

"I rarely play these days but it's for our song." Judai got up from behind the e-kit as Yusei closed the door. "I was wondering if you'd be okay with recording the e-guitar track for it? I know you used to play."

"Sure. I haven't in a while but I usually adjust again quite quickly."

"Great! Then all I've gotta do is throw together the piano track and then it's time for the vocals."

* * *

_I've been thinking too complexly_ , Judai mused to himself as he stood with his back pressed to the wall behind the corner. A simple jump scare should do it. It counted as a prank. Very little could go wrong. An easy win against Crow.

With his ears alert, he waited for the footsteps to approach. 

Yusei had to be on stage in about ten minutes and his dressing room was the only one down the corridor. Jack's was literally on the other side of the building so there was absolutely no way Judai would get him again this time. He'd finally be able to leave this behind himself and focus on other things when he was laying awake in bed at 1 am. 

There! Somebody was approaching.

Judai curled his fingers against the wall and bent his knees, ready to jump out.

The footsteps came closer.

And _closer_.

_And closer._

Judai pushed around the corner and screamed.

Jack and the shorter person beside him screamed back as they tripped over each other and landed on the floor.

Without a second thought, Judai turned on his heel and bolted down the hallway. How had this happened again? Who'd been the shorter one with the funky glasses? Judai squeezed his eyes shut in frustration and barreled straight into whoever was just exiting the bathroom. They both went down in a pile of limbs and suppressed noises.

"Judai?"

"Damn. Yusei. Sorry." Judai winced at the pain in his wrist and rolled off him.

"What happened? Why were you running?"

"I was worried Jack may be out to murder me."

Yusei sat up and looked back at Judai who remained on his back. Defeated. "Why?"

"I may have accidentally jump-scared him."

"Why?"

"Reasons." Judai rand his not-aching hand through his hair. "Hey, do you know someone with long black hair and weird-looking glasses?" he asked to change the subject.

"Carly?"

"Maybe."

Yusei frowned and looked over his shoulder down the hall. "Her and Jack have grown quite close. It could've been her."

" _Judai!_ " 

Damn, that was Jack's voice.

Judai pushed to his feet. "Gotta go! See ya later!"

* * *

"Just give up, Judai," Crow said in passing while Judai was cutting up an apple on the bus.

"Never!"

* * *

"I put one of my red socks in with his white laundry," Judai told Asuka proudly as he exited the laundromat with her.

"Uh-huh. Good luck with that."

Barely five minutes passed before Jack's booming voice rang out into the streets. "Dammit, Yusei, that was my favorite shirt!"

"You were the one who sneaked it in with his stuff," Crow replied.

"Why was it the only thing to turn pink?" Jack snapped.

"I'm not sure." Yusei sounded as calm as ever.

Judai winced and quickly went to hide out in his recording space.

* * *

When they were all sitting cramped together on the two couches in the cheap motel room, Judai leaned into Johan's side. "I replaced the filling of his Oreos with toothpaste," he whispered.

"Let's see how that goes," Johan mumbled back.

"Ew, what the fuck is this?" Jack complained and set an Oreo flying.

"I don't know." Yusei leaned forward and grabbed one for himself. He actually took a bite.

Judai's eyes widened.

"The consistency is a little odd." Yusei still swallowed it down and stuffed the rest of the cookie in his mouth. "It's not that bad."

Crow's laughter was badly muffled.

Judai sunk into himself with a sigh.

* * *

Everyone else was still asleep the next morning when Judai sneaked out into the bus.

With the soundproof door firmly locked, he quickly booted up his laptop and set up his equipment. The vocal track was all that was missing before the last few tweaks had to be made. It felt nice to know this song didn't have to be perfect. It wouldn't even have to get past a dozen other people. This was just a fun little song on the side. A passion project, really. Maybe he should get back into the habit of doing this every now and again. Just to return to his roots.

He put on his headphones and balanced his laptop on the speaker in the corner where he could reach it easily before taking a seat on the stool by the microphone stand.

The first run through was just to warm up and get a feel for the newly mixed track. Along the way, he made some minor adjustments and mental notes. It was always a lot of replaying one section over and over again until it felt right.The fourth run through was starting to feel better. He focused on getting the vocals right, touched up some lyrics for the sake of pacing and rhythm and could finally hear his vision take shape.

For the next run-through, he pushed back his stool and decided to sing on his feet like he usually did in the studio. His eyes were closed and his hands cradled his headphones as he sailed through the long notes and enjoyed the fast-paced bridge before the final chorus. The song felt so much shorter than it had before and as the final notes faded out, he opened his eyes to find Yusei leaning against the wall beside the door with a warm smile on his face.

"I'm glad I woke up early today," he said softly once Judai had slid off his headphones.

Judai felt his face heat up. "I- I made some adjustments," he blurted out and quickly plugged in the speakers. "It's not done yet though and I saved it as a separate file so if you prefer the previous version, we can go back and edit it together."

"I'm sure I'll love it."

Judai ducked his head to hopefully hide the redness behind his hair.

* * *

"Why are you trending on Twitter?" Asuka asked them a few hours later.


	2. Win Or Lose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My knowledge of audio recording equipment is not even basic so bear with me.

Yusei was sitting on the couch in the center of the dressing room, surrounded by all of GX and 5D's. Half the people present were currently on their phones to investigate the social media chaos brought on by the song Judai had posted. Yusei wasn't part of that half. Unlike Judai.

He didn't enjoy being in the spotlight - not like Crow who relished in it or Aki who owned it and definitely not like Jack who seemed to wither away if he wasn't the center of attention on a regular basis. Yusei's band mates were made for the stage. They were naturals in front of the camera, they knew how to play the audience, and had learned to navigate interviews and reporters. They knew how to present themselves, how to hold themselves, how to talk and smile to come across as open and friendly. Yusei was different. He saw the spotlight as an inevitable part of his chosen career but he'd always managed to keep everyone's focus on his music instead of his private life. And he'd done so by sticking to the background and only talking when addressed which used to be a rare occurrence.

This new situation was unexplored territory for him. There was no strategizing his way to the background when there were only two people involved. Especially not when the other person was Judai.

"I never expected it to blow up like this." Judai sounded in awe where he was standing behind the couch and scrolling away on his phone.

"Seriously?" Manjoume scoffed beside Yusei. "The internet's been floundering all over you two chums for weeks now."

"I don't think chums means what you think it means," Jack commented.

"What did you just say to me?"

"I said-"

"I heard you the first time!"

"Then why are you-? Are you trying to start something-"

"Cut it out, boys!" Asuka called out.

Both Jack and Manjoume averted their eyes and crossed their arms.

Yusei was a little impressed. He wasn't sure if even Aki or Carly had ever managed to shut Jack up that quickly. Martha definitely had though.

"Hey Yusei." With those words, Judai's elbows were suddenly placed on either side of Yusei's head as he leaned over the backrest to show Yusei his phone's screen. The sudden proximity had Yusei freeze in place. He could feel Judai's shirt brush against his hair. He could feel his warmth all around his head, even as his own internal heat rose to his cheeks. Yusei was quite sure they'd never been this close before. "A lot of people are asking for a video of us performing the song," Judai continued. "Do you think we should do it?"

It took Yusei's distracted brain a moment to process the question. "Um, yes. Sure. If you want."

"Great!" Having Judai's enthusiastic voice right there, close enough to ruffle his hair with each exhale, was almost too much.

Yusei had never thought of himself as someone who fell fast. Or at all for that matter. Years ago, Crow had always told him he'd been in love with Bruno but back then, he'd ignored the comments and teasing. And when he looked back now, there was just pain. He couldn't distinguish any other emotions from it. He knew with certainty he'd loved Bruno and still did. But it wasn't romantic now and he had no idea if it had ever been back then.

Things were different with Judai. He knew he was... crushing on him. He could tell by all the trademark tingles, overthinking, and alertness, but he wasn't quite sure what to do with all that. Judai was a very straightforward person - what he wanted, he aimed for; he spoke what was on his mind; he never beat around the bush or backed down from a challenge - so if he were to return Yusei's feelings, he'd vocalize or show it in some way. Yusei was sure of that. But there was nothing, so it was up to him to control himself and wait out this storm of emotions until it passed.

"You shouldn't scroll too far down in your Twitter replies," Johan spoke up.

Judai's thumb stopped scrolling. "Why not?"

"There's a lot of... speculation," Crow replied.

Judai kept scrolling but more slowly. "About what?"

"They think you two are dating," Manjoume said bluntly. "I can't believe you didn't notice that before."

"They're even flooding our feeds," Aki confirmed.

"Huh..." Judai scrolled on.

"Why are they typing with caps-lock on?" Yusei asked.

"That means they're enthusiastic."

"This doesn't bug you guys?" Asuka sounded confused.

"Hm, no." Judai's tone was casual. He even went to rest his chin on Yusei's head as he kept scrolling.

Yusei was silent as he prayed to whoever or whatever was listening that no one would pay attention to his flaming hot cheeks. Judai was literally wrapped around his head and the subject matter of the conversation wasn't helping his thoughts calm down at all.

"It's not an invasion of privacy in your eyes?" Asuka pushed.

"I think they just want us to be happy!" Judai sounded like he meant it.

"You're still a total weirdo," Manjoume muttered.

* * *

**THREE DAYS LATER...**

The dressing room couch was softer than usual so Yusei took the opportunity to sink into the cushions while playing some card game on his phone. But just as he was beginning to unwind, the door was thrown open with a bang and a gust of wind.

"We're changing rooms," Jack announced.

Yusei frowned. "Why?"

"Because I need to take a nap and you have the biggest couch."

With his phone's screen clicked off, Yusei sighed and got up. He brushed past Jack without another word and entered the room next door. It was smaller and instead of a couch, it only had two yellow armchairs. Jack hadn't been totally unreasonable in his request then. But he could've been nicer about it.

Yusei took a seat and focused back on his game.

A few minutes passed before a steady beeping could be heard through the wall. It was muffled but ongoing and quickly accompanied by a string of curses.

Yusei considered getting up to see what was going on but the sounds cut off before he'd even pushed to his feet.

Though the calm silence wasn't meant to last this time either. The beeping was back within a matter of minutes.

Yusei had reached the door by the time it cut off again.

This time, he waited with his hand on the door handle.

Less than three minutes passed before Jack's aggravated shout echoed through the building.

Out in the hallway, Yusei bumped into Aki and Asuka. They acknowledged him with a quick nod and followed him to Jack's room.

Even with four pairs of eyes, it still took them 20 minutes to find all the cheap alarm clocks hidden around the dressing room. Yusei was pretty sure he'd still be hearing phantom beeping for hours to come.

* * *

**A WEEK LATER...**

"Mornin'", Yusei mumbled as he walked into the kitchen area where Johan was already leaning against the counter with a steaming mug.

"Morning," Johan echoed. "Crow is still sleeping?"

"Yes." Yusei reached past Johan to grab himself a mug from the wall cabinet.

"He's got this sleeping on a bus thing figured out. I woke up when we left the motorway. And Judai already locked himself inside his studio. I think he's still brainstorming for your music video."

Yusei frowned as he poured himself a cup of coff- nope, that was hot chocolate. Who put hot chocolate in a coffee pot? "Has he been sleeping enough?"

"He rarely does when we're on tour. But he makes up for it by being a constant napper any other time." Johan shrugged and took a sip from his mug. "It's cute how worried you are about him." He paused. "You like him, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Yusei replied absentmindedly as he leaned back against the counter beside Johan and cradled his mug.

"I'm glad you admit it so readily because some of us were already talking about placing bets."

Yusei was back to frowning. "What? Placing bets on what?"

"When you two would get together."

Yusei nearly chocked on his first sip.

"Ah, sorry." Johan patted him on the back as Yusei tried not to wheeze. "I guess you only admitted to liking him in a broader sense."

"I did," Yusei got out.

"But it's more than that, isn't it?"

"What makes you think that?"

"The way you look and react around him and how you still haven't told him off whenever he tries to prank you."

Yusei's eyes widened. "Are you allowed to just reveal that to me?"

"The you're-in-love-with-my-best-friend part or the prank part?"

"The latter."

Johan rolled his eyes and sighed. "You already knew so what does it matter?"

Yusei focused back on his drink and took another sip.

"I think you should tell him."

"But I want him to win."

"Not _that_. You should tell him you're in love with him."

Yusei nearly chocked again. "No. I can't. We're on tour right now and that's more important."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"None of us should risk conflict with another while we're spending so much time in close quarters."

Johan cocked an eyebrow. "I think conflict is the last thing you should expect from telling him."

Yusei shook his head but before he could answer, the bus came to a stop and their driver announced it was time to get breakfast.

"Finally!" Crow's voice rang out from the bunk area. "All this feelings talk has me hungry!"

Yusei's eyes widened. "Were you eavesdropping this entire time?"

"Yup!" Crow rolled out of his bunk and strolled past him with a smirk. "Come on, lover boy!"

* * *

**THE NEXT MORNING...**

A deafeningly loud noise tore Yusei out of his slumber.

"What the-" That was Jack's booming voice and it was coming from out in the hallway. 

They'd rented out a hostel for the night so they could all catch some sleep in proper beds for the first time in weeks. The bunks on the bus were nothing compared to the comfort of a proper mattress where you could turn over without free-falling onto solid ground or smacking your face into a wall. But the environment was clearly no less chaotic.

"Jack? Why are you up already?" Judai sounded a little annoyed.

"Why did you tape an air-horn to the wall, you little weirdo?"

"I didn't do it for you."

"That's not the part I have a problem with!"

"Will you just shut up out there?" Manjoume shouted.

Yusei ran a hand down his face and sighed.

* * *

**FOUR DAYS LATER...**

Yusei had woken up to a text from Judai which had told him to dress in all white and head to the studio. It seemed like Judai had deemed this the right day for filming their music video.

The theme for it was light and darkness. Judai had shared that with him when he'd asked for ideas and opinions; a brainstorming session that had ended with Yusei handing over complete creative control because he preferred the technical side of things. This was most likely also the reason why he walked into a studio filled with fairy lights and decorations in the form of spiderwebs on one side and paper stars on the other, but where none of the equipment had been set up for a live performance.

"Hey," Yusei greeted as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

Judai looked up from where he was wrapping fairy lights around his mic stand. "Good morning! And I see you got my text." He smiled brightly as his eyes gave Yusei a once-over.

"I did." Yusei looked away from Judai's all black get up to focus on the equipment shelf. "Do you want me to set everything up?"

"Sure. If you want."

Yusei nodded and aimed straight for the audio interface. Time to plug in some wires.

They worked in a comfortable silence for quite some time as Yusei set up the channel recorder by laying cables all across the floor to connect everything they'd need while also working around Judai who was fiddling with the lighting and repeatedly checking the framing on his webcam. Even with headphones on, Yusei could still hear Judai muffle a curse every time he stepped on a cable.

"Do you think I should get the camera from Asuka?" Judai asked.

"This wasn't supposed to be a high quality production," Yusei teased. "I think a webcam is fine."

Judai bit his lip for a moment before he nodded. "You're right, I guess." He sighed. "I'm all done then. How's the audio setup looking?" He leaned over Yusei who was sitting on the floor cross-legged as he adjusted the settings on everything by repeatedly replaying their pre-recorded background tracks on his laptop.

"Here, check for yourself." Yusei took off his headphones and held them up for Judai who was quick to put them on and kneel down.

Ten minutes later, Yusei was being pulled to his feet by an eager Judai and dragged in front of the white stars taped to the wall and hanging from the ceiling. "Put your feet on the blue cross on the floor and look into the camera for a moment. Thank you." With that, Judai rushed back to his laptop and started adjusting what looked to be the contrast and color settings of the video.

"I thought you were all done," Yusei noted.

"Hmm-hm. But now I want your eyes to pop more," Judai mumbled as the image on screen turned darker and the blue hues more prominent.

Yusei tried to ignore the heat in his cheeks. 

"All done!" Judai jumped to his feet and positioned himself on the red tape marker about two feet to Yusei's right. "First run through: focus on playing. Second run through: some light acting. More on that later. Are you ready?"

Yusei nodded and took a deep breath.

* * *

**A WEEK LATER...**

When Yusei exited the bathroom, he nearly bumped straight into Asuka who seemed like she'd been waiting for him.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Don't go back to your room."

Yusei frowned. "Why not?"

"I caught Judai tying a zip tie around a Febreze bottle before throwing it into your room like a grenade. I'm pretty sure the air in there is already past breathable at this point."

Yusei closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. "Jack's in my en-suite bathroom."

"What?"

"That's why I was using the staff-" He cut off when the door to his room was flung open and a coughing and wheezing Jack fell through.

* * *

**THE DAY AFTER...**

"You look dumber than usual," Manjoume commented as Jack approached them.

The rest of 5D's was already gathered by the stage since they'd be opening the show. Judai and Manjoume had also decided to join them for no discernible reason.

"Shut up," Jack grit out.

"You're late," Aki said. "Why's your hair wet?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Somebody put dish soap in my hair gel. It took forever to wash out. And then my hair was dried out so I had to deep condition it."

"'Had to'," Crow echoed under his breath and snorted.

Jack shot him a death glare.

"You're on in five," a crew member told them.

Yusei looked over at Judai who gave him a thumbs up with a sunny smile.

"Told you he'd never use hair product," Manjoume mumbled under his breath.

Judai shushed him through the gritted teeth of his smile.

Yusei acted like he hadn't noticed the exchange.

* * *

**THAT NIGHT...**

Yusei woke up to a warm hand lightly shaking his shoulder. "Yusei." The whisper was close to his ear. He could feel the warm breath against the side of his face. "Yusei."

He couldn't recall the setting of his dream but the sense of peace and comfort lingered. Part of him wanted to go back there.

"Yusei." Fingers tugged at his hair. Not hard enough to hurt but it was tough to ignore. "Come on, wake up."

Yusei forced his eyes to blink open.

It was dark inside the bus and the person kneeling in front of his bunk was no more than a black silhouette against dark gray. Though Yusei would still recognize the outline of that hair anywhere.

"Judai?"

"Yes. Can I come in?"

Yusei rubbed his eyes and shuffled around until his back was pressed up against the wall. Only when he made contact did he realize what a weird request this was. These bunks were already tiny for one person, but two? They would barely-

Judai squeezed in beside Yusei. His entire left side was pressed to Yusei's front and he even went as far as to wiggle under the covers and pull the bunk's curtain closed again. They were in total darkness now. Their breathing sounded unnaturally loud in the near silence.

"Did something happen?" Yusei asked. His voice sounded rough with sleep, even to his own ears.

"I posted our video before I went to bed." Judai shuffled around and suddenly, a smartphone lit up the darkness. The screen's settings were clearly turned down low but Yusei still had to squint to adjust. "I wanted to look at the first comments with you."

"What time is it?"

"Four thirty."

Yusei groaned internally. Throughout his teens, he'd been pulling all-nighters constantly but once he'd hit twenty-two, he'd started to recognize the various benefits of having something resembling a sleep schedule. In his case, that sleep schedule consisted of nothing but two guidelines: be asleep before 3.30 am and get up no later than 10.30. He stuck to it most of the time.

Beside him, Judai took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"

Yusei hummed in confirmation. His eyes were already drooping again.

"They're loading," Judai whispered.

Yusei forced himself to actually focus on the glowing cellphone where Judai's thumbs were already hovering nervously over the screen, ready to scroll. Normally, Yusei would feel a bit nervous himself but he was tired and Judai was a warm and comforting weight beside him which made his thoughts sluggish. He could barely comprehend any of this was real.

" _'OMG there's so much symbolism in this I don't even know where to start analyzing'_ ," Judai read out. 

Yusei squinted at the screen and found this was indeed the top comment. Reading it again made him think he may have missed something. He thought the theme was just light and darkness like Judai had said. What more was there to it?

" _'Can we all just take a minute to appreciate the aesthetic here? Judai in black, Yusei in white, and that dramatic lighting? We're all #blessed. Catch me giffing every second of this.'_ "

"Sounds like they really like it," Yusei mumbled for the sake of saying something.

"I know!" Judai was clearly trying to contain his excitement. There was a light squeak to his voice that had Yusei smiling. "Oh look, this one's about you: _'I know we're always talking about how cute Judai is but can we just take a second to appreciate how hot Yusei looks in this? Dayum.'_ " Judai chuckled and tapped the like button under the comment.

Yusei stared at it in horror. Had Judai just-? And with his official, verified YouTube account-? Everyone would now see that he- Yusei closed his eyes and tried to remain calm.

"This one's interesting," Judai said. " _'Am I the only one reading this as a love story? If you listen to the lyrics, you have the light and darkness fighting for coexistence in a world that's clearly operating in absolutes. And in the video, I feel like you can really see the longing in Yusei's/the light's eyes at 2.34. That's a deep story and some subtle acting, man.'_ "

Yusei froze at the person's observation. Was he really that obvious now? Could an absolute stranger read his feelings on his face? Did that mean Judai knew as well but chose to ignore it so things wouldn't get awkward because he didn't return his feelings and-

Judai liked the comment and kept scrolling. His shoulders wiggled as he got more comfortable and leaned even further into Yusei which hadn't seemed possible until now. "They're all so nice and sweet. There's even people asking if we're gonna record an entire EP together."

The thought had Yusei gulping. He wasn't sure he'd be able to stay cooped up with Judai that much longer, not without blurting out something he didn't want Judai to know. Even just looking at his illuminated profile right now was bringing up thoughts and feelings he didn't know how to deal with. Like how he could feel Judai's body heat. Or how his hair was tickling his skin. Or how soft his cheeks looked. Or how long his lashes were. It was overwhelming how much Yusei wanted to bridge the tiny gap between them so he could feel the heat and softness against his own face as they ki-

"Do you think we should do a Q and A?" Judai asked. "I feel like so many of these people have such good questions."

"Sure," Yusei got out.

"Hm, that's amazing. I think it'll be fun." Judai yawned. "Everything we do together is always fun." He leaned his temple against Yusei's sternum. "I really like spending time with you. I almost wish the tour didn't have to end so soon. But I also miss my cat."

"Pharao?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I follow him on Instagram."

Judai's muffled laughter created even more heat against Yusei's chest. "Sho runs that account. I think you'd like him. And my cat."

"I'm sure I would." 

* * *

Yusei didn't recall falling asleep or dreaming. All he knew was he was warm and comfortable as his consciousness returned to him.

There was hair tickling his nose, feet pressing against his, and a lean stomach under his forearm which was sinking and rising under steady breathing. He was also pretty sure there was a phone sitting propped up against that same forearm, at least going by the shifting pressure of somebody tapping and swiping on what he assumed to be its screen. The motion was relaxing. It was nice to wake up to someone in his bed. There was something calming and comforting about- Wait a second.

Had he wrapped himself around Judai throughout the night? Oh no. What-? How was he supposed to get out of this now? And how had he gotten into this in the first place? Why hadn't Judai left yet? Well, most likely because he was too nice to...

Okay. Focus. He had to stay calm and collected.

"Have you seen Judai?" That was Johan's voice.

"Hm, no, actually." Crow.

"He's not in his bunk."

"The studio door's open, too."

"Dammit." Johan sounded like he was muttering to himself now. "Did they really forget him again?"

"Again?"

"I'm in here, guys!" Judai said. The volume of his voice couldn't be considered a shout but if Yusei hadn't already been awake, it sure would've woken him. What was he supposed to do now?

He could hear footsteps approaching and knew he had to untangle himself somehow before either of those two could see him like this. Without second thought, he pulled back his arm, which resulted in the phone face-planting on Judai's stomach, and rolled over so he was facing the wall. He'd moved not even a second too soon.

The curtain was pulled open with force and light flooded the tiny bunk.

"Were you in here all night?" Crow asked. There was a mischievous undertone to his voice.

"Since about four-thirty," Judai replied.

"Cute," Johan said from somewhere a little further away. "Morning, Yusei!"

Yusei squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead against the wall. He had no idea where to go from here.

"Sorry for waking you guys," Crow said and pulled the curtain shut again.

It made Yusei feel even more awkward about the entire situation.

"Are you okay?" Judai asked. His tone was so normal. He even reached out to put a hand on Yusei's arm. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No," Yusei blurted out. "It's- I'm fine. I'm sorry if you thought I was rude for... for..."

"Ah, no worries. It's all good." Judai's sunny demeanor felt like a warm breeze to Yusei's chaotic state of mind. "I like cuddling!"

And Yusei's thoughts were thrown back into chaos.

* * *

Five hours later, a loud scream echoed through the bus and Jack fell out of Yusei's bunk.

Yusei looked up from where he'd been cutting up an apple in the kitchen.

"I guess he found the photo," Johan commented from his position on the couch.

"What picture?"

"Judai taped a photo of the creepy lady from The Grudge between the slates of the bunk above yours."

Yusei cringed at the thought of waking up to that face.

"You could've just said no when I asked to take a nap here!" Jack shouted.

* * *

**ONE WEEK LEFT...**

Judai barged into his dressing room while Yusei was busy scrolling through the news and asking himself why he'd thought doing something so depressing before a show was a good idea.

"We've got two hours to kill and I brought entertainment!" Judai announced cheerfully and held up his laptop.

Yusei pocketed his phone. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Nope. Better." Judai took a seat on the couch and set his laptop on the coffee table. "I asked for questions on Twitter so we can answer them on camera."

"Live?" Yusei asked and frowned over at the laptop Judai had just opened.

"I prefer the power of editing."

"Oh. Good."

They began recording no more than two minutes later.

"Question one..." Judai scrolled on his phone for a moment. "' _What was it like working together for the first time?_ 'Hm... fun." He cocked his head. "Easy. It felt natural, I guess." He looked over at Yusei expectantly.

"I agree."

Judai chuckled. "A man of few words." He looked back down. "Question two... ' _Did you intend to write a love song? '_ Not really. It wasn't until I read it in the comments of our video that I realized it could be interpreted as one." He paused for a beat. "But I guess it fits."

Yusei stared at Judai's image on the screen. He felt frozen in place as his heart began to race. Had he just...

Judai cleared his throat. "Um... question three. _'Would you like to work together again?'_ I'd absolutely love that, yes. And I mean, we're signed to the same label and use the same recording space so it could probably be arranged without too much difficulty."

Yusei still sat motionless. He knew he should be saying something, answering the questions, but he couldn't. Not when Judai had said that...

"Question four. _'How did this collaboration come about?'_ Well, I was already working on the instrumental track when I asked Yusei to help me. I've admired his work for a long time without even knowing it. It wasn't until I looked deeper into which 5D's songs had lyrics by Aki and which ones were all Yusei that I realized his words had touched me the most. It still feels surreal when I think about how I got to work so closely with him. But..." Judai averted his gaze. "While working with him has been incredible, I'm looking even more forward to getting to know him better as a person."

Yusei looked down at his hands. Of course. Judai still didn't know him that well. He wasn't open enough. He didn't share that much about himself. The complete opposite of Judai.

"Question five. _'Who would win in a game of Truth or Dare?'_ I didn't know that's something you can win, to be honest."

"I think the first person who refuses to complete their turn loses." Yusei had no idea how the words had left his throat, how they'd squeezed past that strange hopelessness sitting in his chest.

"Really? Then I bet Yusei would lose!" Judai's tone was teasing.

Yusei forced a smile to his face and met Judai's eyes. "What makes you think that?"

"Easy. I'd just have to say something like 'I dare you to kiss the prettiest person in the room' and you'd automatically lose."

Yusei frowned even as his cheeks heated up. "What?"

"Well, you can hardly kiss yourself, can you?"

"What?" he repeated.

Judai's cheeks were nearly as red as his jacket but he still upheld eye contact. "I... I think we should stop recording for a moment."

"Okay."

Judai swatted blindly in the direction of his laptop until he managed to close the lid. "I, um..." He cleared his throat. "I was trying to... flirt."

"That's... uh." Yusei swallowed. "Okay."

"What do you... How do you feel about that?"

"It's... good."

Judai nodded and averted his gaze for a moment before he was looking back into Yusei's eyes. "I, um, I've got something to tell you."

"Oh, I- I know about the pranks, Judai."

"Wait- Wha- Really?"

"Yes."

Judai hid his face in his hands and turned away to groan. "I can't believe..." He buried his hands in his hair and curled even further into himself. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was hoping you'd win the bet."

"How could I've done that when you were dodging all my pranks?" Judai accused and turned back to face him.

"I wasn't trying to!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

Judai sighed and averted his gaze once more. "Shit. Maybe you really are immune."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Judai looked into his eyes again. "I think I lost that bet though."

"We could team up against Crow if you want."

Judai shook his head. "That would be a dishonest win."

"What price were you betting over anyway?"

Judai looked a little pained.

* * *

**THE FINAL SHOW...**

Yusei was trying hard not to laugh as he saw Judai head toward them on their way to the stage. He was wearing his typical dark jeans and red shoes but now he was also donning a black t-shirt with a very interesting picture printed on the front.

"Is that a screencap from that video?" Asuka asked. She was audibly trying to swallow down her laughter.

Judai sighed and threw up his arms. "Go ahead. Just let go now before we're up on stage."

Yusei ducked his head and felt his shoulders begin to shake as the entirety of GX and 5D's burst into giggles and teary laughter. Even Jack and Manjoume let out amused snorts which was more than they'd shown the entirety of the tour.

"The face on that security guard," Crow wheezed.

"You should've been there," Johan got out.

Judai sidled up beside Yusei and crossed his arms. "I'm glad he didn't have the time to plan out a whole outfit," he muttered.

Yusei nudged their shoulders together with a happy smile. "You don't regret taking the bet though, do you?"

"Of course not!" Judai said quickly. "I maybe kind of even like the t-shirt, to be honest. It _is_ a funny video."

"Then wear it with pride."

Judai chuckled and pulled at Yusei's shoulder to bring him down for a quick cheek kiss. "Let's get up on that stage, rock our final show, and then go on that first date."

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to send me art and drabble prompts over here (no smut - please and thank you): https://time-to-w-w-w-write.tumblr.com
> 
> Or you can leave your prompts in a comment down below!


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